Crow-foot base for chairs, tables and the like



P. L. DODDS June 30, 1964 CROW-FOOT BASE FOR CHAIRS, TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed March 12, 1962 0 Y 2 l 4J v. -l 8 2 l w e F Il 2.. 2, y Wh7 l./.xmll 2 i. 3 2 1w 3 6 M 2 ,-2 G l 3 ,s m F 0 0 4. 5 93 M3.. M/V-.& M //WI ww 5 4 WH-- o w\v ou HTW NNY l--- G 4 l F h INVENTOR, PAUL l.. Dobbs;

Drill! is ATTORNEY www! United States Patent() 3,139,256 CRW-FOT BASE FOR CHAIRS, TABLES AND TIELIKE Paul L. Dodds, 3657 Thorndale St., Pasadena, Calif. Filed Mar. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 178,917 3 Ciaims. (Cl. 248-194) The present invention relates' to improvements in crowfoot bases for pedestal type tables and chairs with particular emphasis on a construction that permits ready assemblage of this type of structure. The average crowfoot base entails a problem so far as the shipping and the storage thereof is concerned. I propose by the present invention to provide a knock-down structure which permits the parts of such a structure to be stored in a small space. For instance, I am enabled by the present invention to store the parts of my base and pedestal in cartons which contm'n one thousand complete assemblies where Vonly one hundred of said assemblies could be stored if the base was made in one piece.

An object of the invention is to provide a knock-down construction for a crow-foot type base which occupies a small space when disassembled, rigid when assembled, inexpensive in cost of manufacture and generally superior to crow-foot bases now known to me.

With the above mentioned and other objects `in view the invention consists in the novel and useful provision,

formation, construction, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in one embodiment in the accompanying drawing, described generally and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, partially sectional side elevation of the invention shown supporting a table top;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, partially sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of a wedging disk and associated parts used in the practice of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, bottom plan view of one of the legs of the crow-foot base; and,

FIGURE 6 is a plan View illustrating the invention in knock-down form for placement in a carton or package.

Referring now to the drawing, the crow-foot base for the table shown in FIGURE 1 includes three or more legs 1 and in the present instance four legs.V Each leg is identically formed and has the appearance in bottom plan of the full leg 1 shown in FIGUREk 2. In FIGURE 2 the leg 1 has a top ilange 2 of elongated form and a central web 3 on the bottom surface of the flange. Hence,

a cross section of the leg would be of T form. The web 3 may vary as to depth or height and likewise width. The outer end 4 of the leg I has its web cast to provide a socket member 5 for a glider 5a. Inward from the opposite end of the leg boththe height and the Width of the web is increased as shown at 6. The flange at the inner end thereof has arcuate edges 7 and 8 which lie on the same radius and the web extends beyond said arcuate edges to provide a tongue 9. The tongue 9 is reduced in height relative to l the web at its inner end being substantially one-half the web height as shown in FIGURE 3 at 10 for the tongue and at 11 for the flange. The'top of the tongue 9 at 12 and the top 13 of the flange lie in the same plane and are flat. The top of the ange 14 is substantially at a ten degree angle relative to the tops 12 and 13. .The inner end of the tongue 1s vertically pointed by providing equal area side walls 15 and 16at said end in 90 relationship ice This construction `leaves flat surfaces on either side of the flange 18.

To assemble the legs I provide a hub designated gen-v erally as 20 and which includes an interrupted hub member '21.of annular form and provided with vertical slots 22 arranged in 90 spacedV relationship. See FIGURE 2. The slots are of a size which will accommodate the tongues of the legs therein. As shown, the curvature of the periphery of the annular hub sectors is the same as the curvature of the inner arcuate endsy 7 and 8 of a leg. The vertical apeX line, being the pointed end of the tongue for each leg, lies on the hub center or axis, as shown in FIG- URE 2. Thus, when four legs are utilized, each tongue passing through one of the slots, the angular side walls on the ends of the tongues cooperate to provide a stress resistant relationship. The hub is provided with a top plate 30 which overlaps the periphery of the hub, as shown at 31. This construction provides a shoulder 32. The plate 30 may be cast integral with the hub 21.

Adapted to be received Within the hub 21 is a locking washer or wedging disk 3S. The wedging disk has a top surface formed with an annular groove 36 thereby providing a rim flange portion 37 and a central stud portion 38 on the same level as the rim ange. The bottom surface of the wedging disk is provided with Van annular groove 40. The wedging disk is provided with bores interconnecting the annular groove portions at the top and bottom of the disk.l In the present instance 'there are f our bores arranged 90 apart and two diametrically arranged bolts 41 are passed through two diametric bores, the bolts carrying nuts 42 positioned in groove 40. Quite obviously, a tightening of the nuts 42 will bring the wedging disk into tight engagement with the bottom surfaces of the tongues of each leg and move the flat upper surfaces of the tongues and flanges against the under surface of the plate' 20. The flanges 18 for each leg are received within the upper annular groove 36. If desired, the inner wall of the flange 37 and the cooperating wall ange 18 may be in angular relationship to assure a tight working engagement therebetween. As the top surface of the wedgingdisk is plane or flat, it cooperates with the at bottom surface of the tongue of each leg. Thus when the nuts 42 are tightened, the legs are held rigidly between plate 30 and the wedging disk and within the hub. As shown, the wedging disk is provided with two diametric bores 49 which bores communicate with the top and bottom annular grooves and these bores have passed therethrough long bolts 50. The bolts are secured to the wedging disk by means of top and bottom nuts positioned on both sides of the wedging disk and within the annularV grooves, as shown in FIGURE 3 at-51 and 52. These long bolts extend upwardly and are secured to a bracket 53 which bracket in turn is secured to the bottom surface of the table top 54. Surrounding the bolts, is a tubular column 55 the upper end of which engages the bracket and thel i for instance, in FIGURE 6. This ligure shows four legs,

the long bolts and the short bolts, the hub, wedging disk and the bracket. To assemble,the tongues for thefour legs are passed through the slots 22 of the hub so thateach leg radiates outwardly at an angle, as shown in FIGURE thus mergingfin an apex equal'to the depth or height of v the tongue. The bottom surface 17 ofthe tongue has a transverse arcuate ange 18 dependingl therefrom which flange is spaced from the inner end wall 19 of theweb.

1. The wedging disk is then brought into position so as to engage the flanges 18 to bring the tongue ends into cooperative, engagement as shown in FIGURE 2. The

. nuts 42 are tightened upon bolts 41 after the long bolts 50 have been passed through the wedging disk and through holes provided therefor in the plate 30. The long bolts are connected to the bracket 53 by nuts V56 after positioning the tubular column between the bracket and the plate 30. Thereafter lthe bracket is connected by means of screws or otherwise to the bottom of the table top. Disassembly is, of course, as simple as the assembly. In the case of a chair,the legs are assembled to the hub and the wedging disk, as previously recited, and the chair mechanism is then secured to the top plate 30. Other variations are, of course, possible.

The assembly of the parts for the base is very sturdy and stress resistant.

I claim:

1. A knock-down crow-foot type base for tables, chairs and the like, including: an annular hub provided with vertical equidistantly spaced slots and a top plate for one end of the hub, a series of legs radiating from the hub and of identical construction, eachleg provided at one end with a tongue adapted to be passed through a slot of the hub for reception Within the hub, the end of each tongue provided with angular related equal area side walls merging in an apex which jointly cooperate with other tongues to hold the tongues in working relationship the apices lying on the axis of the hub, a Wedging disk within the hub for engagement With the tongues to move the tongues against the top plate secured to the hub, and means for securing the ,wedging disk to the top plate secured to the hub for holding the tongues therebetween.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, each tongue proannular groove for receiving each tlangeI i vided with a ange and the Wedging disk provided with an 3. A knock-down crow-foot type base for tables, chairs and the like, including: an annular hub provided with vertical equidistantly spaced slots and a top plate for one end of the hub and of greater diameter than the hub to provide a shoulder between the top plate and the periphery of the hub, avseries of legs radiating from the hub and of identical construction, each leg provided at one end with a tongue adapted to be passed through a slot of the hub for reception within the hub, the end of each tongue provided with angular related side walls which jointly cooperate with other tongues to hold the tongues in working relationship, a wedging disk within the hub for engagement with the tongues to move the tongues against the top plate secured to the hub, and means for securing the Wedging disk to the top plate secured to the hub for holding the tongues therebetween, each leg being T-shaped in cross section to provide a ange and a web, one end of the ange being arcuate for cooperation with the periphery of the hub and in engagement with the shoulder between kthe top plate and the hub.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,052,799 Collinsworth Feb. 11, 1913 2,923,513 Johnson Feb. 2, 1960 3,062,494 French Nov. 6, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 613,299 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1948 

1. A KNOCK-DOWN CROW-FOOT TYPE BASE FOR TABLES, CHAIRS AND THE LIKE, INCLUDING: AN ANNULAR HUB PROVIDED WITH VERTICAL EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED SLOTS AND A TOP PLATE FOR ONE END OF THE HUB, A SERIES OF LEGS RADIATING FROM THE HUB AND OF IDENTICAL CONSTRUCTION, EACH LEG PROVIDED AT ONE END WITH A TONGUE ADAPTED TO BE PASSED THROUGH A SLOT OF THE HUB FOR RECEPTION WITHIN THE HUB, THE END OF EACH TONGUE PROVIDED WITH ANGULAR RELATED EQUAL AREA SIDE WALLS MERGING IN AN APEX WHICH JOINTLY COOPERATE WITH OTHER TONGUES TO HOLD THE TONGUES IN WORKING RELATIONSHIP THE APICES LYING ON THE AXIS OF THE HUB, A WEDGING DISK WITHIN THE HUB FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TONGUES TO MOVE THE TONGUES AGAINST THE TOP PLATE SECURED TO THE HUB, AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE WEDGING DISK TO THE TOP PLATE SECURED TO THE HUB FOR HOLDING THE TONGUES THEREBETWEEN. 